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A Unique (I think?) Two Passport Question

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Hey guys - I'm new here, but as far as I could tell from my hunting, no one has asked about the below scenario. Perhaps that's because it's ridiculous, and there's a better way to go about. Either way... please save me from my future possible idiocy.

I have two passports: Canadian/American, and my wife is Canadian. I'm currently on my American passport, and we are living in Thailand on multiple entry Non-Immigrant O Visas for Volunteers. They are a difficult to come by (so I've heard), I only know of a couple places in the US that give that Visa, and one in Australia. Our visas will expire in September, and I am trying to come up with the cheapest way for us to renew them. I'm thinking something like this:

Wife flies to Australia, with my American passport in hand. Applies for Non-O volunteer visa for the both of us, and flies back into BKK. I meanwhile take the cheapest international flight I can find on my Canadian passport, and return to BKK on the same day as my wife, where we meet up before immigration. She gives me my American passport and we both re-enter Thailand.


At least, that is what I was THINKING about doing-- but even now, as I'm reading more of this forum, I realize that I may have problems trying to leave on my Canadian passport that has no Thai entry stamp.... Which begs the question... Is there any cheaper way than having BOTH of us fly to Australia?? Being volunteers, we would happily take a more inconvenient but cheap method, rather than simple and pricey.

I guess what I'm asking for is for a nail in the coffin for earlier idea... And hopefully any miracle suggestions you may have to offer. Any of you guys out there on a volunteer Non-O??

You don't want to become separated from the passport that you used to enter the country. And in terms of services offered to citizens in trouble, you probably selected the best passport to use while in Thailand.

When you leave the country, they check to make sure the "entry" stamp is legit. If you have no entry stamp they will wonder "how the hell did this guy get in here?". At least this seems like what they should be doing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Wife flies to Australia, with my American passport in hand. Applies for Non-O volunteer visa for the both of us, and flies back into BKK

The Thai consulate will not issue a visa for a passport that has no Australian entry stamp.

As said you must leave the country on your US passport.

The best thing to do to resolve the problem would be the get the paperwork from the organization you are working with here to get a work permit and then you could apply for an extension of stay here during the last 30 days of any 90 day entry you get from your visa. With an extension you not need to leave the country every 90 days just get another extension every 90 days.

Fwiw, the website of the Thai Embassy in Saigon talks about this visa option: http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/2886/34924-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O%22---Voluntary-Servi.html

Others will be better qualified to say whether it would be advisable to try to apply there.

That would be single entry visa the consulate in Saigon (the embassy is in Hanoi) will not issue a multiple entry visa.

  • Author

Thanks for the input guys -- My organization gives work permits, but only has a limited number of them at the moment, and they are given out based on seniority. They'll of course give me a letter of invitation, but that's about all the help I get on their end, which is why I'm trying to get creative.

Has anyone received a multiple entry Ed visa, with a follower? One school I looked into said that my wife couldn't get a follower visa, but the second school said she could.

Working, which includes volunteering, requires a work permit. The maximum penalty is 5 years in jail and/or a fine of upto 100,000 baht.

If you study you can have a dependent of you. But getting a multiple entry visa is dgetting difficult, especially for study.

Double fault if I understood the story right.

Wife takes US passport out -> no exit stamp.

You want to leave on a Canadian passport with no entry stamp,

A possible scenario: before your wife leaves, you do a border run (either by air or overland) and swap passports:

exit with US, reenter with Canadian (30 day visa exempt).

When your wife is expected back:

border run by air via Suv. (!), exiting on Canadian passport, entering with US passport that your wife brings back.

So two border runs necessary.

Very small inconsistency: no exit stamp from the country where you suppose to come from (matching your boarding card).

No idea whether this will raise alarm.

Edited by KhunBENQ

  • Author

Working, which includes volunteering, requires a work permit. The maximum penalty is 5 years in jail and/or a fine of upto 100,000 baht.

If you study you can have a dependent of you. But getting a multiple entry visa is dgetting difficult, especially for study.

The maximum penalty for what? Volunteering without a work permit? Umm.... I hope not. Immigration has not required me to have one up to this point.. .Should I be worried about this???

Please forget my post #10. Blackout.

This passport swapping will not work, as you will have the same problem in the neighbouring countries.

work permits are not issued by immigration. you can not work on an Ed visa

you can not change passport at a land crossing.

Edited by steve187

Working, which includes volunteering, requires a work permit. The maximum penalty is 5 years in jail and/or a fine of upto 100,000 baht.

If you study you can have a dependent of you. But getting a multiple entry visa is dgetting difficult, especially for study.

The maximum penalty for what? Volunteering without a work permit? Umm.... I hope not. Immigration has not required me to have one up to this point.. .Should I be worried about this???

That is the maximum penalty for volunteering without a work permit. (The alien labour act does not make a distinction between paid and unpaid work).

You will in all likelihood not be bothered, until a problem arises. (an accident at work for instance). Immigration and labour better things to do. But immigration is aware that many people abuse volunteering in order to be allowed to stay in Thailand and have tightened their rules.

  • Author

Mario - Do you have any links where I can find those laws?? I'd like to send notify my superiors here in case they are unaware, and get some answers from them.

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